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Building a Vehicle Bugout Kit

Published

10 years ago

November 17, 2013

Most folks have a job that takes them away from home several hours or several days at a time, so it only makes sense to ensure that you’ve always got a preparedness kit handy. That generally means having a “portable” bugout kit in your car.

There are, of course, many variations of vehicle preparedness kits, and this article only discusses a few of them. Feel free to change/adapt your own kit to suit your own unique circumstances. Note: You may have to fly for your job, and that presents special preparedness challenges all its own.

That said, the following suggestions have been culled from a number of different sources and, again, are merely suggestions:

— The type of vehicle you drive, first and foremost, is important. If you live in an area where there is ice and snow during the winter months, you should consider having at least one vehicle that has four-wheel drive. Most vehicles – even compacts – have enough trunk or backseat space for a decent-sized bugout kit, so space shouldn’t be a huge problem. Still, a small sports car is pretty much a non-starter; you need something with storage space. Keep your vehicle serviced regularly and make repairs in a timely manner. Also, keep at least a half-tank of gas in the fuel tank at all times.

— Communication will be important so keep a cell phone charger in your car. In a total disaster scenario, you may not have cell service, of course, but you won’t know ahead of time, so a charger is a good thing to toss into your glove box. If you don’t have a charger, keep your cell phone off in between uses to save your battery. Portable CB radios are also good to keep in your kit; don’t forget extra batteries or, better still, a battery charger that can run off your car battery. (Note: More and more newer cars are being built without the old time cigarette lighters – is your vehicle one of them? Plan ahead.)

Also, think about placing a small crank-charge AM/FM/Weather Band radio in your kit as well. Your car radio will suffice as long as you’re driving but if you have to abandon it at some point, you’ll have a backup.